STAND. COM. REP. NO. 74

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 8

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 8 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO JURY DUTY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to allow an advanced practice registered nurse to claim exemption from service as a juror.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawai‘i Association of Professional Nurses, Optimum Health and Wellness Hawaii LLC, Hawaiʻi Provider Shortage Crisis Task Force, and eight individuals.

Your Committee finds that advanced practice registered nurses in the State have full practice authority and provide primary and specialist care to the elderly, disabled, and all other individuals needing health care services in the State. Your Committee further finds that under existing law, the only health care professionals allowed to claim exemption from serving as a juror are physicians and dentists. This measure allows advanced practice registered nurses to continue providing necessary health care services for their patients without the interruption of having to serve jury duty.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Delaying the implementation of the exemption until January 1, 2027, to allow the Judiciary to prepare jury duty exemption forms;

(2) Inserting a sunset date of January 1, 2032, to consider the effects of the exemption after five years;

(3) Inserting an effective date of December 31, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 8, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 8, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health and Human Services,

________________________________

JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair